Word and Spirit in Exile (1542–61): the Biblical Writings of Peter Martyr Vermigli

Marvin W. Anderson

doi:10.1017/S0022046900048831

Word and Spirit in Exile (1542–61): the Biblical Writings of Peter Martyr Vermigli

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011

Marvin W. Anderson

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Marvin W. Anderson*: Affiliation:
Associate Professor of Historical Theology, Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.

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Dr. Philip McNair of Cambridge has written the definitive account of Pietro Martire Vermigli in Italy. After fleeing from Lucca (1542), Vermigli began his exile at Strasburg (1542–7), continued on to Oxford (1547–56) and ended a brilliant theological career at Zürich (1556–62). This scholar who so deeply impressed John Calvin merits serious attention. Recent articles point to Vermigli's influence on the Book of Common Prayer. It is time to add a preliminary study of his biblical exegesis to the scant secondary literature on Vermigli's theology. Here lies the fascination Vermigli held for both Calvin and Cranmer.

Type: Research Article
Information: The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , July 1970 , pp. 193 - 201

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046900048831 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

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^{page 193 note 1} There are numerous references to Vermigli in John Calvin's Institutes, yet he merits no mention in either Wendel, Francois, Calvin, New York 1963 Google Scholar, or Read, Conyers, Bibliography of British History, TudorPeriod 1485–1603, 2nd ed., Oxford 1959 Google Scholar. See McNair, Philip; Peter Martyr in Italy, Oxford 1967 Google Scholar and McClelland, John C., The Visible Words of God, London 1957 Google Scholar, also Huelin, G., ‘Peter Martyr and the English Reformation’, unpublished University of London Ph.D. thesis, 1955.Google Scholar

^{page 193 note 2} Alan Beesley, ‘An unpublished source of the Book of Common Prayer: Vermigli's, Peter Martyr Adhortatio ad Coenam Domini Mysticam’, in this Journal, xix (1968), 83–8Google Scholar. Noticed independently by Booty, John E., ‘Preparation for the Lord's Supper in Elizabethan England’, Anglican Theological Review, xlix (1967), 137 Google Scholar.

^{page 193 note 3} Paist, Benjamin F. Jr., ‘Peter Martyr and the Colloquy of Poissy’, Princeton Theological Review, xx (1922), 212–31, 418–47; 616–46Google Scholar. For correspondence of Vermigli with the Zürich theologians (1556–61) see Boesch, P., ‘Julius Terrentianus’, zwingliana, vii (1948), 587–601 Google Scholar and Baum, J. W., Theodor Beza, Leipzig 1843–51Google Scholar, and supplement 1852. See ‘Oxford and Peter Martyr’ in Smyth, Charles H. E., Cranmer and the Reformation under Edward VI, Cambridge 1926, 107–38Google Scholar.

^{page 193 note 4} Pietro Martire Vermigli (1500–62), In Selectissimam S. Pauli priorem ad Corinth, epistolam D. Petri Martyris … commentari doctissimi.…, Tiguri, Christ. Froschoveri, 1551.

^{page 193 note 5} Dictionary of National Biography, lviii. 254, col. i. A register of Vermigli's correspondence is published in the 1580 second edition of the Loci Communes with some additional letters in the Zurich Letters. Others are scattered in the Calvini Opera [Corpus Reformatorum, 29–87] and several references are made to Vermigli in the Correspondance de Thédore de Bèze, The Simler collection of Zürich MSS. is also important. Additional letters of Vermigli have recently been recovered in England. See Bill, E. G. W., ‘Records of the Church of England recently recovered by Lambeth Palace Library’, Journal of the Society of Archivists, iii (1956–66), 24–6.Google Scholar

^{page 194 note 1} Hastings Eells, Martin Bucer, 319.

^{page 194 note 2} Loc. cit.: ‘Martyr and Bucer recognised in each other kindred souls …’.

^{page 194 note 3} Ibid., 320. See Appendix G of McClelland, The Visible Words of God.

^{page 194 note 4} Young, M., The Life and Times of Aonio Paleario, London 1860, i. 421 Google Scholar.

^{page 194 note 5} D.N.B., lviii., 254, col. ii. See also Iosia Simler, Oratio de Vita et Abitu Clarissimi Viri et Praestantissimi Theologi D. Petri Martyris Vermilii, 1562. Bound in Loci Communes D. Petri Martyris Vermilii Florentine Sacrarum Literarum In Schola Tigurina Professoris … Heidelbergae, Sumptibus Danielis et Davidis Aubriorum & Clementis Schleichiiz, 1622. No pagination.

^{page 194 note 6} Young, op. cit., 434. The Corinthian Commentary of 1551 is praised in a letter of Beza to Bullinger (1559). Beza agrees with Vermigli. See Meylan, Henri and Dufour, Alain, Correspondence de Théodore de Bèze, iii (1559–61), Geneva 1963, 36.Google Scholar

^{page 195 note 1} Original Letters, ed. Robinson, Hastings, Parker Society, Cambridge 1847, ii. 471–472 Google Scholar: Peter Martyr to Bucer, 26 December 1548.

^{page 195 note 2} Strype, John, Ecclesiastical Memorials, ii., Part i., Oxford 1822, 190–1.Google Scholar

^{page 195 note 3} Original Letters, ii. 481: Peter Martyr to Bullinger, 1 June 1550.

^{page 195 note 4} D.N.B., lviii., 255, col. ii.

^{page 195 note 5} Young, op. cit., 457. See Paist, art. cit., 220 n.8.

^{page 195 note 6} Zurich Letters, ed. Hastings Robinson, Parker Society, Cambridge 1842, 123. On Poissy see the letter of Beza to Vermigli of 14 December 1561 in Meylan and Dufour, Correspondance de Théodore de Bèze, iii (1559–61), 239–41.

^{page 195 note 7} Giorgio Spini has traced the remarkable impact of Vermigli and Jerome Zanchi among the New England clergy and scholars of the seventeenth century. See ‘Riforma italiana e mediazioni ginevrine nella nuova Inghilterra puritana’ in Ginevra e l'Italia, ed. Cantimori, D. and others, Florence 1959, 451–89.Google Scholar

^{page 195 note 8} The Commonplaces, 1583. Also see the letter of Calvin to Vermigli on the Council of Trent, Calvini Opera, xix (C.R. xlviii), col. 338. In a letter of 29 August 1557 he lauds the orthodox Christology of Melanchthon's commentary on Colossians: C.R., xxxiii. No. 2690.

^{page 196 note 1} Vermigli, Peter Martyr, The Commonplaces, trans. Marten, Anthonie, London 1583, 39, col. i–iiGoogle Scholar. Orthography is modernised and original spelling retained in quotations. See the excellent study of the Romans commentary and its influence on Calvin in Mc-Clelland, J. C., ‘The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination according to Peter Martyr’ in the Scottish Journal of Theology, viii (1955), 257–65.Google Scholar

^{page 196 note 2} The Commonplaces, 40, col. i.

^{page 196 note 3} Loc. cit., Contra epistolam Fundamenta.

^{page 196 note 4} Ibid., 41, col. i. Margin reads, ‘To what judgement we must stand for the sense of the scriptures’.

^{page 196 note 5} Loc. cit.

^{page 196 note 6} Ibid., 42, col. ii.

^{page 196 note 7} Ibid., 42, col. i.

^{page 196 note 8} Ibid., 42, col. ii.

^{page 196 note 9} Ibid.

^{page 196 note 10} Ibid., 43, col. i.

^{page 196 note 11} Ibid.

^{page 196 note 12} Vermigli, Priorem ad Corinth, epistolam …, 2^V.

^{page 196 note 13} Ibid., 2^v–2^r. Margin reads 'solae scripturae dogmata confirmant’.

^{page 196 note 14} Ibid., 3^v–4^r: ‘Hoc vero non ignoratio facit, sed quod nolint beati huius viri scripta in manibus assidue habere’. Cf. Migne, P.G., lx. 329, which seems to correspond to Vermigli's argument.

^{page 196 note 15} Ibid., 6v.

^{page 197 note 1} Ibid., 9^r.

^{page 197 note 2} Ibid., 11^v. ‘Et Ambrosius, dum hanc particulam interpretatur, id non dissimulat. Inquit enim: Quia hoc constitutum est a deo, ut qui credit in Christum, saluus sit sine opere, sola fide, gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum’. I have been unable as yet to identify this quotation among Ambrose's writings.

^{page 197 note 3} Ibid., 13^{^v}. ‘Neque, spes concepta de promissionibus dei, unquam pudefacit, imo bonum quod abest.…’.

^{page 197 note 4} Ibid., 23^{^v} where Vermigli cites from Erasmus, Adnotationes. See Bainton, Roland, ‘The Paraphrases of Erasmus’, Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte, 57 (1966), 67–75 CrossRef Google Scholar.

^{page 198 note 1} Ibid., 23^V: ‘Quia quod stultum est dei, sapientius est hominibus: et infirmum dei, robustius est hominibus. Huius loci sententia est: Quando videtur nostrae rationi, dum sermonem crucis Christi audit, deus ineptire aut desipere, tune omnem humanum sapientiam excedit. Et rursum, cum iudicant homines eum aut infirmum aut debilitatum revera est potentissimus. Erasmus aliam sententiam hie vidit, ut stultum et infirmum dei, nostrum iudicium minime spectet. Sed ad illos gradus divinae perfectionis referatur, quorum collatione ista quae videmus et in Christo nobis exhibito sunt, et pro stultitia et pro infirmitate haberi possint. Sed prior sensus quem induximus, et planior et facilior est. Suos Corinthias Apostolus hoc loco acriter castigat, ostendendo tam parvi reputasse deum humanam sapientiam atque; potentiam, ut in nos asserendo contraria prorsus adhibuerit, cum illi admiratione tam praepostera haec prosequerentur, ut eorum causa ecclesiam scinderent’.

^{page 198 note 2} Ibid., 29^v.

^{page 198 note 3} Loc. cit. I have not modernised Vermigli's orthography.

^{page 198 note 4} Ad loc.

^{page 198 note 5} Loc. cit. See Vermigli to Bullinger, August 1562, where he objects to comments on Romans, ix by reference to I Corinthians, x: C.R. xlvii. No. 3840, col. 505.

^{page 198 note 6} Ibid., 29^r: ‘… turn iustitia sic acquisita improbatur’.

^{page 199 note 1} Vermigli, Priorem ad Corinth, epistolam.…, 29^r.

^{page 199 note 2} Ibid., 35^V. Margin reads, ‘In iustificatione peccata nobis non imputantur, et iustitia Christi nobis imputatur’.

^{page 199 note 3} Ibid., 349^r.

^{page 199 note 4} Loc. cit.

^{page 199 note 5} Ibid., 350^r-v.

^{page 199 note 6} Ibid., 350^r.

^{page 199 note 7} Ibid., 351^v.

^{page 199 note 8} Loc. cit.

^{page 199 note 9} Ibid 351^r: ‘Nunc vero tria proponemus inquirenda. Primum, an vera fides a charitate valeat separari, quaemadmodum adversarii persuasum habent. Alterum est, an charitas forma sit fidei, veluti scholae tradunt. Postremo videndum erit, quae nam charitas prae fide habeat, et vicissim quid fides charitati praestet’.

^{page 199 note 10} Loc. cit.

^{page 200 note 1} Ibid., 352V: ‘Epistola ad Hebraeos capite undecimo definitionem fidei luculentissimum habet: ubi esse dicitur ὑποστσις, quae est basis vel existentia rerum quae sperantur λπιζμενων. Et hac sane parte complectitur fides euangelium, vitam aeternam, Christi confortium; et per illud remission em peccatorum. Nam haec sunt quae speramus’

^{page 200 note 2} Loc. cit.

^{page 200 note 3} Ibid., 353^v.

^{page 200 note 4} Ibid., 353^r.

^{page 200 note 5} Ibid., 355^v. Chrysostom, Third Homily on Titus.

^{page 200 note 6} Ibid., 357^v; cf. 359^V: ‘Verum quidem est, charitatem plenitudinem esse legis, et illus qui diligit legem implere: sed hinc non consequitur, ex charitate nos habere iustitiam, nisi quae est ex lege, et inchoata. Cum tamen in iustificatione potissimum de ilia instituatur sermo, quae nobis a deo per Christum gratis imputatur. Sed iam opportunum erit, ut ad Pauli verba interpretanda oratio redeat’.

^{page 200 note 7} Ibid., 371^v.

^{page 200 note 8} On Seripando see Anderson, Marvin, ‘Trent and Justification (1546): a Protestant Reflection’, Scottish Journal of Theology, xxi (1968), 385–406 CrossRef Google Scholar and ‘Biblical Humanism and Roman Catholic Reform: (1501–1542), Contarini, Pole, and Giberti’, Concordia Theological Monthly, xxxix (1968), 686–707 Google Scholar, for data on Pole and Contarini.

^{page 201 note 1} Vermigli, The Commonplaces, ‘To the Christian Reader’, n.p.

^{page 201 note 2} Ad loc.

^{page 201 note 3} See Santini, Luigi, ‘Appunti sulla ecclesiologia di P. M. Vermigli e la edificazione della Chiesa’ in Bolletino della Società di Studi Valdesi, civ (1958), 69–75 Google Scholar.

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